Guardians Of Neopia 1: The Chain Letter
by Alkuna
Summary: This story appeared in the Neopian Times A dark faerie finds a way to change Owners into Neopets. Two Owners end up being more of a handful than the dark faerie expected. R&R please.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the site Neopets :p

The Chain Quiz

By Alkuna and Luvinnemiousis

Chapter 1: What Kind Of Neopet Are You?

"What kind of NeoPet are you? Take this quiz and see!"

I smiled at the neomail on my screen. It looked like one of those chain letter/mini quizzes that always bounced around in the Neomail. Fill it out and send it to your friends; that kind of thing. This one seemed harmless enough, since it wasn't asking for anything. I figured it would be fun to do so I started answering the questions.

"1) You make friends and…"

I found myself associating with option f) more than any other letter. Finally I was finished and scrolled down to the bottom.

"If you got mostly:

f) Eyrie. You are playful and friendly, but also strong. Messing with you is a bad idea, but it's hard to get on your bad side. You are an intellectual and think things though."

Then, at the end, there was a final question:

"Now that you know what kind of pet you are, pick your favorite color of that pet. Then send this to your Neofriends so they can find out what Neopet they are."

I scrolled through the colors, and then decided that I liked the Electric Blue on the Eyries. I clicked the "send" button and sent a copy to my best Neofriend so she could fill it out.

Something was wrong. My hands were starting to tingle, and they weren't working right. I looked down and gave a yell of alarm as my hands began to get fuzzy and turn blue. Within seconds they had changed into lion paws and the effect was spreading quickly up my arms. Then the pulling started. I struggled, trying to pull back from the computer, but whatever it was had a very strong grip.

I was pulled through the screen and suddenly found myself falling through the air toward a nice looking neighborhood. I gave a yell, which changed into an eagle screech, and I tried to slow my fall. Massive eagle wings sprouted from my back and beat at the air frantically. My fall slowed but my rapidly changing body was messing me up. I was growing heavier as well as bigger, so even though I slowed down, I still ended up landing in a heap in the front yard of a Neohome.

An irritated voice barked, "Hey, if you can't fly, why the heck were you given wings?"

I looked up to see a tough looking cloud lupe standing in the doorway. Two Gelerts and a Poogle peered around her. My newly formed beak dropped open. They were my pets! Alkuna, my lupe, LaCody and Mercolagos my Gelerts and Vhai my faerie Poogle!

"Alkuna?" I got to my wobbly paws and stared at her.

She did a double take at me, and then gasped, "M-mom? What's happened to you?"

They raced out and hugged me tightly, then began examining me from beak to tail tip.

"You look pretty," Vhai told me, "But you looked prettier before. Why did you change?"

I explained to them about the Neomail we had gotten. Alkuna and Mercolagos exchanged glances and led me inside. We looked over our neomail and discovered the person who had sent it. I hadn't checked before and felt kind of foolish for it. It was sent from somebody named Atera.

"Atera!" yipped Vhai. He raced into another room and came back with an old collectable card labeled "Rhiow the Malificent." He read it out loud to me, "Rhiow is an evil creature. She may look like an Aisha, but she is very different inside! She is Atera's (Dark Faerie) servant/pet. Her magic is all dark, making her one of the most powerful pets."

I swallowed hard, "The Dark Faerie did this? We'd better tell the Faerie Queen then." I started for the door, and then gasped. "Luvinnemiousis! My Neofriend! Oh no! I sent her a copy of the spell trapped neomail!"

Alkuna led the way through the streets. She knew quite well the way to my friend's Neohome; her husband, SilverBlur lived there.

I heard a yowling even as I turned the corner that led to her street. A faerie Kougra was pacing around in the front yard of her two story home, while SilverBlur tried to calm her and her Zafara, Serifinan, her Cybunny, MickeyMaestro, and her Techo, RoyalNP peered out from their prospective hiding places. She whirled around when she saw us, then stared at me in horror. She recognized me because my pets refused to walk around with anyone else.

"You too?" she gasped, "Oh no. How are we going to get back to our human selves?"

I sat awkwardly on my lion hind paws and shrugged my big shoulders, making my wings rustle, "I got the neomail from Atera, also known as the Dark Faerie. Whatever she's up to, we'd better warn the Faerie Queen. If more owners start turning into pets, there won't be enough humans left to direct the pets. Which I'll bet is exactly what Atera's counting on."

She shook her head, "No wonder you're an Eyrie. Good thing we have wings." She looked somewhat uncertainly at her own purple wings. "I, uh, guess we can fly. They certainly slowed my fall on the way here..."

I knew why she was nervous. I was too. Both of us were afraid of heights….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Faerie Queen

Needless to say, the flight up to Faerie Land was VERY unnerving for the both of us. And we both walked around on the clouds like we were afraid of falling through. We made our way quickly through the Faerie City and walked into the palace with relief. At least the floors here were strong, sturdy marble instead of fluffy cloud.

The castle was beautiful, decorated with stained glass and tapestries, plus portraits of all of the faeries posing in their elements. We slunk past Atera's portrait, where she seemed to glare from a background of creepy shadows and glowing eyes. Was it me or did the picture's eyes seem to follow us?

Luvin finally had had enough of being creeped out and whirled around to face it. She frizzed her fur out and glared challengingly at the portrait, "You got a problem punk? Stop staring at me, or I'll have to sharpen my claws on you!"

I was about to delicately point out that Luvin was talking to paint on a canvas when the painting rippled slightly. My fur frizzed out too and I hissed. It only lasted a couple of seconds, then the ripple was gone and the painting was just an ordinary, if creepy looking picture.

"Uhm, let's… let's get going. Something tells me that was a spy spell and our time may be running out." I started backing away a little from the portrait.

Luvinnemiousis gave the picture one final nasty glare and joined me, her anger fading away quickly as I pointed out several beautiful works of art. We both laughed as she posed next to a stature of a faerie Kougra. I had to admit, if it hadn't been for Luvin's beautiful purple color next to the stone gray of the statue, they could have been identical.

We finally came to the Great Hall where the Faerie Queen was sitting on her throne and sipping something from a tall glass. Every Faerie but Atera was in attendance, sitting at long banquet tables, eating, talking and chatting. I padded in first, feeling like an intruder but determined. Luvinnemiousis padded in right behind me.

Slowly the chatter died down as they took note of our presence. I squared my shoulders and walked slowly to the throne on the Faerie Queen.

There was a sharp shink as the Battle Faerie drew her sword and stepped between us.

The reason for my friend being a Kougra abruptly came to the surface as she snarled and stepped between the blade and me. Brave, loyal and tough; that's her.

"Whoa, chill out both of you," me, ever the peace maker, put a restraining paw on Luvin's shoulder and swatted aside the Battle Faerie's sword, "We're here to see the Faerie Queen. Something major is happening that she needs to know about."

"Really?" The Faerie Queen said softly, "Come forward then brave pets."

We walked forward and bowed as well as we could. "That's just it," I said when I straightened, "We're not pets. We're humans."

Soft laughter spread through the room. We certainly LOOKED like pets.

The Faerie Queen frowned slightly and looked deep into my eyes. I shivered a little, as she seemed to look straight into my soul. Her eyes widened and she dropped her glass onto the floor. Slightly pale she looked into Luvin's eyes and gave a little gasp.

"They ARE human inside! H-how can this be? And who could have done this?" The Faerie Queen had gone very pale now.

I looked straight back at her, "Atera, the Dark Faerie. Her name was on a neomail that I got. I didn't know it was a trap until after I sent it to my friend."

Outside the room there were loud yells and angry pet voices, commanding the guards to let them through to the Faerie Queen.

"Looks like you aren't the only two to get that letter. Please come with me." The Faerie Queen rose and paused just long enough to mutter something to another faerie, who disappeared quickly. She walked up a long flight of stairs to a balcony that overlooked thousands of "NeoPets" at the palace door.

"Friends, please!" the Faerie Queen called out, "I have been informed of your predicaments and we are now working on a solution to your problems. We are aware that the culprit for this is Atera, the Dark Faerie."

A dark and dangerous mutter rippled through the crowd.

"Hold!" the Faerie Queen cried, "I have sent for someone who can help us prepare for the battle that we will surely have to fight.

A red Nimmo with a headband on appeared at the fringes of the crowd and picked his way quickly through the crowd. He made a fantastic leap up to our balcony with the aid of a long staff.

He bowed to the Faerie Queen. "You sent for me your Majesty?"

The Faerie Queen smiled, "Indeed I did Ryshu. I am glad you could make it so quickly from Mystery Island."

She brought him up to date with our situation and he nodded solemnly. "I will send for my Master and perhaps he can offer his aid as well."

The Faerie Queen turned to the two of us thoughtfully, "We'll need field generals to lead two parties. It will be their jobs to get messages to one another and to keep their selected groups in line. Luvinnemiousis, I hereby appoint you a Battle Officer. Your group shall be the main fighting force and shall be appointed with the Battle Faerie and training will begin immediately. Take only those who are strong and good at combat."

Luvin bowed her head. "I will do my best your majesty."

The Faerie Queen then turned to me. "Alkuna, I hereby appoint you to be a Strategy officer. Your followers will be those who are not strong in face-to-face battle. Take those bound to the water and as many winged creatures as you can and begin preparing for your part."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Battle For Neopia!

And so it began. It took nearly a month, and I took my winged part of the squadron through countless flying drills. Others on the ground were taught how dart in and strike hard before darting back out again.

Luvin and her squadron were doing fantastically. Several packs of Lupes flocked together and began practicing their charges over the forested terrain that was to be our battleground. Other small groups began forming under Luvin's leadership and soon our army was a frightening force.

Ryshu and the old Techo Master were kept busy teaching both of our squadrons how to fight and defend themselves. The soup kitchen supplied all of us with delicious soups, and I managed to slip the Soup Faerie a new recipe that would be more filling for everyone. Weapons shops from all over donated to our cause and ensured that everyone was well equipped.

The day of battle dawned dark, cloudy and was threatening rain and thunder. A gelert scout, Arcannio, came running full out, yelping that Atera's army was on the march and would be here in less than an hour. He shuddered, telling us of mutated pets forced to march under the power of slave collars and other terrifying monsters that had to have been raised from the Spooky Forest.

Several former owners cried out in fear, afraid of fighting their own mutant pets and hurting them.

"Wait a minute!" I cried, in my piercing Eyrie screech, then lowered my voice when everyone stared at me, "You heard him. They're under the power of slave collars right? Well when you meet a mutant pet, break the collars off. Do that and half of Atera's army will turn against her and fight for our cause."

"Hear that?" I heard Luvin's Kougra roar, "We have our own allies waiting for us to set them free. She thinks we'll wimp out. Well we will show her that NOBODY messes with pet owners!"

The groups took up savage cries and began getting themselves ready. I took my team and we all took to the trees and other hiding places. Kacheeks took their places by nets and Kikos hopped into the streams to spray blasts of water. Eyries crouched on branches, ready to dive bomb the enemy.

Luvin's lupe packs lurked in bushes and shrubs waiting to pounce once they caught sight of the bigger, fiercer pets under Atera's control. Her fellow Kougras were standing in full view behind Luvin, waiting for the Dark faerie to show her face.

"You all know the drill. That dark amulet is the source of her power on us. Faerie Kougras fly around her and keep her distracted," Luvin looked at her group to make sure they all knew their roles. Several former owners nodded grimly and rested their paws on their swords.

Slowly the forest began to darken, even though it was in the middle of the day.

"So it begins," murmured Luvin, and the pets about her stirred a little uncomfortably.

The darkness was oppressive, and we could all feel the evil within it. It was like a cold chill that settled over our souls. A few of the younger owners and pets whimpered softly and huddled together, but quickly fell silent.

The tread of feet were heard first. Then pairs of glowing eyes blazed in the gathering darkness. Then slowly forms became visible.

Those of us hiding in the trees tensed and watched as the army passed beneath us. We would wait for the signal.

Luvin stood on top of a boulder, a feral smile on her face as the army of evil drew to a stop a few feet away. There was some shifting in the ranks, and then Atera herself appeared, riding the Monocerous. The evil darkness came directly from her, and she seemed to wear it like a cloak.

"In the name of the Faerie Queen, stand down Atera. Return us to who we were!" Luvin snarled.

The Dark Faerie sneered, "You were only the beginning. So this is your pathetic army? You are hardly even worth my time. I was right. With owners turned into pets, there is no one to direct the house pets they call Neopians!"

Luvin's eyes flashed under her helmet and she drew her million-degree sword with a harsh cry. The sword flared to life brilliantly, cutting through the darkness like...well…a knife. "For Neopia!"

"For Neopia!" roared her army, and the battle began.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: United We…Kick Their Tails!

I hunched my shoulders and watched the exchange between my brave friend and the Dark Faerie. Then Luvin drew her sword, and that was the signal.

In perfect silence the first flight of my squadron, the eyries, plunged out of the trees with me in the lead. We made no sound until we were almost upon our prey. Uttering eagle shrieks a split second before the attack; we hit the army of darkness completely by surprise.

I grabbed an unsuspecting mutant Moehog in my front paws and hauled him into the air. I aimed and stabbed at the collar with my beak, shattering it and freeing him. I glided to the edge of the battle and dropped him onto the ground, as were the other Eyries. With battle cries, the freed mutants raced back into the fray, striking out at their former captors.

Even as we dropped the mutants, squadrons of Korbats, Buzzes and Pteris dove down, dropping laugh grenades and other weapons on their targets. Kois and Kikos surfaced in the stream and sprayed powerful blasts of water at monsters from the Haunted Woods.

I got a brief glance of Luvin swooping and diving around Atera, frustrating the Monocerous and making Atera curse as she tried to deflect the attacks of a dozen or so faerie Kougras as they strained to shatter the Amulet of Darkness around Atera's neck. The Monocerous roared and several pets froze in terror. Then several Jubjubs answered the roar with their own piercing shrieks and leaped at the frustrated monster, kicking it with their strong feet. Jarred from their paralysis, the fighters gave war cries and attacked again, jabbing with their swords.

The battle was a long and tiring. I cannot count the number of pets I freed, only to swoop back to do it again.

Luvinnemiousis snarled in frustration as she missed the amulet yet again and had to dodge another swipe of Atera's dark sword. She was sore, battered and frustrated. Doggone it!

The Uber faeries hadn't been able to join the fray because of that darkness that Atera was using. The darkness had a terrible effect on any and all good faeries; draining their strength and making them helpless.

Lupes were doing a wonderful job from what she could see. Teaming up in groups of two or three on one opponent and breaking the collars on those who were being controlled. Gelerts sprinted around on fast paws, nipping at legs and chomping on sword arms and generally harassing the living daylights out of their opponents. Wingless Kougras were roaring and swatting the smaller enemies aside like flies.

Luvinnemiousis made another dive for Atera's amulet and missed once again. Atera hit Luvin with the flat of her sword and unbalanced, Luvin fell to the ground hard. She struggled to get her breath back and looked up in horror to see Atera raise her blade for the final stroke.

I saw my best friend get knocked out of the air and immediately saw red. NO ONE MESSED WITH MY FRIENDS!

With a full-throated battle scream I plunged down and smashed into Atera hard from behind, knocking her from her seat on the Monocerous. The dark sword flew from Atera's hand and she landed hard on the ground next to Luvin.

Absolute silence fell over the battlefield as I pinned Atera to the ground with my massive lion paws. I sliced the cord to the amulet and tossed it to Luvin.

"This is your honor my friend," I said to her, not looking away from Atera, "After all, you worked so hard to get to it."

With a triumphant cry Luvin grabbed the Amulet and smashed it hard against the ground. The amulet shattered under the blow and everyone yelled with joy as they began returning to human form.

As armored humans began shifting back and standing up with their loving pets gathered around them, the monsters from the Haunted Woods turned and fled. The Amulet's controlling powers gone, the remaining mutant pets pulled the slave collars off and raced to their prospective owners or clustered together to wait for someone to take them home.

I grabbed Atera's sword by the handle and glared at her, keeping her down with the point aimed at her neck. Her power source gone, the Dark Faerie kept still as Luvin tied her hands behind her.

"Get this straight Atera, no one, and I mean no one messes with my friends."

There were several flashes of light and the rest of the Uber Faeries appeared. The Earth Faerie gathered up the mutant pets and began the long task of returning them to their worried owners.

I dropped the sword, shaking a little in anger. I was rarely in the mood to fight, but when I did, it was really serious. And after word I always felt bad.

Luvinnemiousis came over and gave me a hug as she always did to calm me down after a fight. "Come on," she muttered to me, "I've got some chocolate ice cream stored in the freezer at my Neohome. Let's go home and spoil ourselves. The faeries can take care of this mess."

Ahhh chocolate. The world's best cure-all. I managed to summon up a grin and we raced each other all the way to her doorstep. Our pets weren't far behind.

Chapter 5: Just Desserts

An hour later we were both sitting on the comfy couch in her living room, letting off extra energy by recounting the parts of the battle we had seen.

There was a knock on the door and we opened it to find the Uber Light Faerie standing on the doorstep, "Luvinnemiousis, Alkuna, the Faerie Queen has summoned you to her palace."

"To all the owners and pets who participated in today's battle to save Neopia, thank you all! It shall be arranged for everyone who participated in today's battle to receive 10,000 Neopoints in their accounts and a trophy for their cabinets."

Cheers erupted from the crowds outside the palace. Luvin and I grinned and hugged each other. That meant we would be getting the money too. Wow. It felt kind of weird not having wings anymore. I soo wanted to just jump in the air and fly around for a while.

Then I frowned a little, "But why did she have to bring us inside the palace itself to tell us this?"

Luvin shrugged, looking as puzzled as I was. We were soon to find out.

The Faerie Queen turned and walked back into the palace and smiled at each of us. "Come with me… I have a special reward for the both of you."

We walked into the throne room and were commanded to kneel before the throne.

"Luvinnemiousis and Alkuna, for your bravery in battle and your successful shattering of Atera's Amulet, you are hereby dubbed Guardians of Neopia. Your strength and loyalty to the forces of good have been proven you worthy of this honor. In order to do your job as Guardians, however, you will be required to return to Neopia often. The forms you chose in Atera's trap will be the forms you are to take when the time requires it."

The Faerie Queen slipped a beautiful amulet over my head, then walked over and slipped one around Luvin's neck too. They shone brilliantly in the light, and blue crystals sparkled in the setting.

"Everyone has been returned to the exact time in which they left. You both will do the same. Thereafter, you must watch your time, for time in this world will be the same as the outside world. Congratulations, both of you."

We both rose and smiled proudly. Neopia was a wonderful place to be. We would protect this world with all of our powers. Which reminded me….

We spent a lot of money that night, changing into our Neopet forms and buying captive faeries. We released them, and were blessed with high-level abilities. After all, we needed abilities that didn't require physical work. I raised my electric blue wings and smiled over at my friend. Luvin nodded in total agreement with me. We both deserved a quiet evening of flying after the hard work we had done.


End file.
